It has long been known that one of the safest places to stand in a building or house during an earthquake is under a doorway. The header of the doorway and support therefore tend to be strong enough to support the structure just above it should the rest of the surrounding structure collapse. However, doorways are not that wide, and consequently falling objects may still strike a person standing under the doorway, even if the doorway itself does not collapse. Further, there is typically only room for one or, at most, two persons under the doorway. Still further, in the event of a structural collapse, persons standing in the doorway may become trapped by falling debris and not be able to reach disaster supplies such as first aid kits, potable water, food, blankets, flashlights, and the like.
As such, while standing under a doorway during an earthquake is somewhat safer than not standing under the doorway, there remains a need for a satyr shelter from falling objects during an earthquake. Such a needed shelter would be strong enough to withstand a considerable load, such as the structural collapse of the ceiling or roof above the doorway. Further, such a shelter would provide room for several people, and would include a storage area for allowing quick access to emergency supplies. Such a needed shelter would be relatively easy to install on existing doorways, and would be relatively inexpensive to manufacture. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.